"Cooking with JJ" Episode 5: Simple Greek Salad with Seared Chicken

"Cooking with JJ" Episode 5: Simple Greek Salad with Seared Chicken

This is hands down one of my favorite salads. I'm a big fan of creamy Caesar dressings but they can be super fattening and rich. So this recipe gives the same flavor with a fraction of the calories and fat thanks to the combo of lemon juice, hummus and feta. The salad on it's own is great but if you want to make it a yummy, hot meal I'll show you how to saute chicken breast in coconut oil on your stove to top things off.

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"Cooking with JJ" Episode 3: Vegetarian “Tuna Salad” Made From Chickpeas

"Cooking with JJ" Episode 3: Vegetarian “Tuna Salad” Made From Chickpeas

In the NewsUpNow.org kitchen with me this week is the beautiful and amazing Allison Tibbs who has perfected a scrumptious vegetarian "tuna salad" recipe made from chickpeas. Just in time for your Labor Day BBQ, this salad is great as a meal, snack or side and will satisfy even the most avid meat eater and tuna salad snob. It can also be modified to be vegan friendly and as we demonstrate is great for doing bicep curls in the kitchen. Proof! "Cooking" can be easy, fun and delicious.

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"Cooking with JJ" Episode 2: Veggie Egg White Muffins

"Cooking with JJ" Episode 2: Veggie Egg White Muffins

In this week’s episode of “Cooking with JJ” from NewsUpNOW, I’ll show you how to make super simple and yummy veggie and (optional) meat egg white muffins which are great for meal prepping for the week ahead. The amazing Allison Tibbs taught me how to make these years ago and they are a staple in my house! Check out the full episode and cook along with me!

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5 Supplements You Need to Know About

5 Supplements You Need to Know About

While a well-balanced diet will often provide you with the nutrition you need for daily life and function, a fitness program or regular exercise might mean that you need a little more of a boost. I've put together a list of five supplements that you probably need to know about.

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Mindful Eating “Versus” Food Tracking

Mindful Eating “Versus” Food Tracking

Recently a friend asked my thoughts about “mindful eating”. In short, Mindful eating is based on mindfulness, a Buddhist concept. It's a beautiful concept and one I strive to achieve. But it takes a very long time in today’s world. And for folks looking for a more basic, first step to change it can be overwhelming. In my experience success can more often be achieved by first tracking one’s food for a period of time to achieve the right calorie goals while making room for the foods you love.

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JJ’s Pumpkin Spice Apple Protein Muffins

JJ’s Pumpkin Spice Apple Protein Muffins

I've been obsessed with my Blueberry Explosion Protein Muffins for years. I make them every Sunday and have two every day as a post workout treat. This week catastrophe happened. I ran out of blueberries and was too lazy to go to the store. But I did have apples so I figured, why not?! The result was a delicious reinvention of my favorite recipe. I call them JJ’s Basic B*tch Pumpkin Spice Apple Protein Muffins. Give them a shot and I hope you enjoy!

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In the News: Understanding Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss

In the News: Understanding Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss

If you’re looking to trim down, figuring out the secret sauce for saving muscle while losing fat can feel pretty overwhelming. For the best science-based, medically reviewed advice from me and other leading experts give this Greatist article a look and let me know if you have any questions.

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Q&A with the Founder of Ariana’s Energy Bites

Q&A with the Founder of Ariana’s Energy Bites

I sat down with my friend, personal trainer and entrepreneur Ariana Parvin to learn about how her struggle with digestive issues and food allergies led her to create super tasty and healthy "energy bites" that are popping up in some of the Bay Area’s best markets and restaurants. Since launching in 2018 her bites have become a favorite energy snack for thousands of Bay Area peeps and it’s amazing watching her woman-owned business grow. Hear her story and find out where you can get some to fuel your body and tickle your taste buds!

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Can "Flexible Dieting" Make You a Healthier, Happier Human?

Can "Flexible Dieting" Make You a Healthier, Happier Human?

"Flexible dieting" isn't a diet; it's a nutritional concept where you have daily calorie and macronutrient (carbohydrate, protein and fat) targets and as long as those specific numbers are achieved, then food selection is left up to your personal preference. Sounds awful? What if I said you could eat pizza and drink wine and still lose unwanted body fat? Here's the skinny on how it works!

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5 Steps For Setting Successful Weight-Loss Goals

5 Steps For Setting Successful Weight-Loss Goals

There’s nothing like waking up to find you’ve been quoted as an expert on setting successful weight-loss goals on the MyFitnessPal Blog. I’m a huge fan of this app and the content on its blog is top notch. If you’re looking for smart, realistic tips for reaching your goals give this a read.

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Dr. Ashton Perroni, ND Explains How Naturopathic Medicine Can Strengthen Your Immune System

Dr. Ashton Perroni, ND Explains How Naturopathic Medicine Can Strengthen Your Immune System

Now more than ever it’s critical that we practice preventative care to boost our immune systems, manage stress and tend to our body’s needs. I’ve been curious for a long time about Naturopathic Medicine and how/if it integrates with traditional Western Medicine. Can Naturopathic modalities help reduce our chances of contracting COVID-19 or minimize its impact if we do contract it? I interviewed Dr. Ashton Perroni, ND to help shed some light on these questions and more.

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Thai Coconut Basmati Rice with Mango and Seared Scallops

Thai Coconut Basmati Rice with Mango and Seared Scallops

I’ve been in a bit of a meal prep rut lately. I rely on my go-to recipes for breakfast and lunch (smoothies, protein muffins, curry chicken salad—all the usual suspects) and Freshly for dinner. And they’re still awesome! But this week I had a craving for something different. Thankfully my meal prep guru partner Peter stumbled across this super tasty and easy recipe on EatingWell.com for Thai Coconut Basmati Rice with Mango Seared Scallops.

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Healthy Halloween Treats to Scratch That Sugar Itch

Healthy Halloween Treats to Scratch That Sugar Itch

We're constantly surrounded by sugary treats and temptations. And not just around Halloween! These days hidden sugar is lurking everywhere in the products we buy. In my post last week I shared the facts about sugar in our diet, how much is ok to eat and whether popular sugar substitutes are actually healthy. Just in time for Halloween here are a few of my favorite “healthier” treats. So if you need a sweet treat fix try this microwave chocolate mug cake (only 100 calories!) or this pumpkin mug cake. And these homemade peanut butter cups are fantastic (because remember, healthy fat can be good for you!). And finally, spruce up your fruit with these spooky ghost fruit kabobs.

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The Complicated Case Against Simple Sugar

The Complicated Case Against Simple Sugar

Before you throw the book at all sugars, let’s review a few facts. If you were around in the 80s and 90s you likely recall the low-fat diet craze (who didn’t kill an entire box of SnackWell’s pulling an all nighter in college?). Nutritional experts, government agencies and industry pointed the finger at fat as the culprit for our obesity epidemic and a slew of other health issues like diabetes and heart disease. Fast forward to today and we now know that fat is not the demon we once made it out to be and in fact fat is a necessary part of our diet that helps control hunger, absorb vital nutrients and help fight against disease. Having acquitted fat, sugar (most notably “processed” or “added” sugar) now sits in the witness stand and is taking the wrap for our health problems. So let’s review some hard facts about this fundamental molecule and our complicated, and sometimes emotional, relationship with it. 

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25 Nutrition Experts & Foodies Share Their Favorite Smoothie Recipes with Yogurt

25 Nutrition Experts & Foodies Share Their Favorite Smoothie Recipes with Yogurt

Yogurt is a good go-to healthy snack, but a yogurt smoothie is an extra-special, tasty treat that combines the creamy thickness of yogurt with a variety of other nutrient-packed, delicious ingredients, from fresh fruit to chocolate, honey, kale or spinach, and so much more. Check out my favorite recipe and recipes from 24 other fitness pros in this Edible Arrangements Blog post.

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Are Protein Shakes Good for Weight Loss?

Are Protein Shakes Good for Weight Loss?

Protein shakes seem like a convenient way to cut calories and lose weight, but are they really worth all the hype, especially when it comes to weight loss? As with most questions like this though, the answer depends. The folks from Eat This, Not That asked me and other health experts to weigh in with our best thinking when it comes to protein shakes.

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What Should I Eat Before and After a Workout?

What Should I Eat Before and After a Workout?

I get this question a lot. I get it from clients. I get it from friends. I even get it from the coolest fit-tech companies in the world! And it's a GREAT question. How we fuel our bodies affects our performance in the gym, our recovery (and results) from a workout and even the microscopic cells that make us what we are. Food is important. If what you're doing is working for you and you just want to maintain, cool. Keep doing what you're doing. But if you want to change consider changing you're pre- and post-workout nutrition first.

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